Posted on 05/09/2007 6:35:16 AM PDT by NYer
Milan - Milan's leading obstetric hospital was replacing its crucifixes with images of the Virgin Mary to avoid offending a growing number of Muslim patients, reports said Wednesday.
'Our wards have become multiethnic. We want to respect all religions and avoid any form of discrimination. That is why we have decided to replace the crucifix with the image of the Madonna, which is also appreciated by Muslim women,' daily La Repubblica quoted Mangiagalli's medical director, Basilio Tiso, as saying Wednesday.
Some 7,000 women give birth at the Mangiagalli each year. Of these, about 30 per cent are foreign immigrants, many of whom are not Catholic.
The head of Milan's Viale Jenner Islamic centre, Abdelhamid Shaari, welcomed the move, saying Mary was a figure that was also revered by Muslims.
'This is certainly a sign of respect for our religion that we greatly appreciate. But a white wall would have been even better. Italy is a secular state and children are angels in any religion,' Shaari told La Repubblica.
The representation of the cross on which Jesus died has become the subject of a heated debate in Italy in recent years as Muslim groups and non-Christians seek its removal from the walls of public buildings.
Although church and state are officially separated in Italy, a 1923 regulation issued during Benito Mussolini's Fascist rule and never repealed states that a symbol of the crucifix should hang in every classroom and courtroom in the country.
Officials at the Mangiagalli hospital plan to replace all crucifixes within the next few months. However, patients will still be able to have a crucifix hanging in their room if they ask for one.
Found this on Wikipedia, for what it's worth.
The flag was originally adopted by the Council of Europe on December 8, 1955, from one of many designs attributed to Arsène Heitz[1]. On 25 October 1955 the Parliamentary Assembly made the unanimous decision to adopt a circle of gold stars on a blue background as an emblem. On 8 December 1955 the Committee of Ministers adopted this as the European flag. "Against the blue sky of the Western world, the stars represent the peoples of Europe in a circle, a symbol of unity. Their number shall be invariably set at twelve, the symbol of completeness and perfection...[So far so good.]
...just like the twelve signs of the zodiac represent the whole universe,
[Ruh-roh.]
...the twelve gold stars stand for all peoples of Europe – including those who cannot as yet take part in building up Europe in unity and peace."
I'd look with a direct, unblinking gaze. And while I was at it, I'd watch every move with all the attentiveness of a starving hawk contemplating a mouse.
But that's just me.
So if I said that a hijab clad muslim woman is offensive to me because it reminds me of the intolerance in sharia of other religions, women, etc., she would be forced to remove said hijab?
And that’s why I do look them in the eye every chance I get. Yes, I even stare.
This is absolutely ridiculous. I am so fed up with political correctness gone amok. A Catholic hospital has a right to put up anything it wants to, regardless of who the patients are. The crucifix represents the core of Catholic beliefs.
“Now, imagine you’re a Catholic in a hospital in Saudi Arabia. What would happen if you requested a crucifix be hung in your hospital room? Hmmmm?”
You would not leave the hospital alive, that’s for sure.
Well, if that ain't the definition of anti-Christ .. there's no hope.
Not the Mary statues, but the removal of God, HIMself.
How long, O Lord ?
So what’s Israel giving birth to (the male child), the New Jerusalem?
You can answer me via fmail, can’t hijack the thread.
Even more interesting, wouldn’t they find it idolatry?
That’s what the imams and mullahs teach, regardless of Momo smashing all the idols in the kaaba except Mary and Jesus.
She's referred to positively in the Koran. The Virgin Mary in the Koran.
Bishop Sheen believed that the Mohammedans would be converted to Christianity through Mary.
Bishop Sheen wrote: “In the Koran, the Virgin Mary is mentioned thirty times. It believes in Her Immaculate Conception, and also, in Her Virgin Birth. It has also verses on the Annunciation, Visitation, and Nativity. Angels are pictured as accompanying the Blessed Mother and saying: ‘Oh, Mary, God has chosen you and purified you, and elected you above all the women of the earth.’ Mary, then, is for the Moslems the true Sayyida, or Lady. The only possible serious rival to her in their creed would be Fatima, the daughter of Mohammed himself. But after the death of Fatima, Mohammed wrote: ‘Thou shalt be the most blessed of all the women in Paradise, after Mary.’ In a variant of the text, Fatima is made to say, ‘I surpass all the women, except Mary.’“This brings us to our second point: namely, why the Blessed Mother, in the 20th century should have revealed Herself in the significant little village of Fatima, Portugal, so that to all future generations she would be known as ‘Our Lady of Fatima.’ Since nothing ever happens out of Heaven except with a finesse of all details, I believe that the Blessed Virgin chose to be known as ‘Our Lady of Fatima’ as a pledge and a sign of hope to the Moslem people, and as an assurance that they, who show her so much respect, will one day accept her divine Son too. . . I believe the Blessed Virgin chose to be known by the name Fatima because she also came for the conversion of Islam, without which there cannot be an era of peace for mankind.
that’s some liberal cr*p from wikipedia...
you should look up the EU flag proposed by von Hapsburg. his flag is flown now, however it is just missing the Cross he added.
and btw.... i read in a book (called something like ‘100 random facts’), the author wrote to the EU asking if it was true that the 12 gold stars represented the Virgin Mary, and the EUrocrat confirmed this. Also in my European history lecture last semester, even the very anti-christian lecturer said that the flag was based on the virgin mary and her crown of 12 gold stars.
“So if I said that a hijab clad muslim woman is offensive to me because it reminds me of the intolerance in sharia of other religions, women, etc., she would be forced to remove said hijab?”
Wouldn’t it be nice if it worked that way? Sadly, it doesn’t. Us non-Muslims are supposed to bow down to the Muslim offended by whatever and make it all better for them. :(
I do not think this is a Catholic hospital. I think this is a public hospital that had crucifixes on its walls because of the law enacted under Mussolini that all public buildings have crucifixes on their walls.
This issue has come up before in regard to schools in Italy.
And the suicide of Europe continues.
Good morning, NYer! How are you today?
You are correct.
However, I’ve decided I’m not in a bowing mood...think a lot of folks are of the same mind lately.
And they will remove garlic from the cafeterias since this, too offended the many vampires visiting the facility. Sheesh.
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